Shoe



NOV. 8, 1938. E A I 2,136,084

SHOE

Filed Oct 19, 1936 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SHOE Andre Perugia, Paris, France Application October 19, 1936, Serial No. 106,279

7 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear and more particularly to low shoes and sandals.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a shoe or sandal, intended primarily for womens wear, having an upper which is com. posed at least in the rear portion thereof entirely of one or more straps constructed and arranged to snugly grip the ankle and instep of the wearers foot.

' Another object of the invention is the provision of a shoe or sandal with an extensible ankle strapwhich defines the opening for the insertion and removal of the wearers foot.

A further object is to provide a shoe or sandal with an ankle strap which firmly and resiliently grips the wearers foot to properly hold the shoe on the foot. i

A further object is the provision in a shoe of an ankle strap which defines the foot opening and at least a part of which is composed of a plurality of individually extensible and contractable elastic strips whereby to facilitate stretching of the strap for enlarging the foot opening when the shoe is being put on and removed.

A yet further object is generally to provide a sandal of novel appearance and designed to afford the wearer maximum comfort.

The above objects of the invention, objects ancillary thereto, and other objects which might hereinafter appear are realized in the embodiments of the invention which will be described presently, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a low shoe or 35 sandal embodying the present invention, illustrated in position on the wearers foot;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the shoe, only part of the ankle strap being shown in order to more clearly illustrate the elastic feature;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown-a low shoe of the sandal type comprising a sole II], a heel I2, and an; upper which is constituted by a forward portion l4 and by a rear portion IS. The shoe may be made by any suitable method, and except for the rear upper portion Hi the shoe parts may be any of those heretofore utilized in the manufacture of shoes with due regard to the appropriateness of such parts in relation to said portion l6. As here shown, the front upper portion I4 is composed of straps I8 and 20 which are arranged in crossed relation to harmonize with the rear upper portion 16, but any other type of front upper consistent with the desired appearance and character of the shoe may be used.

The'rear portion I6 of the upper is composed of a strap permanently secured at its ends 22 and 24 to opposite sides of the shoe at the shank thereof. The strap extends from one side of the shoe where one end of the strap is secured, across the instep toward the other side of the shoe, around the ankle, and again across the instep to the side of the shoe opposite to where the first mentioned end of the strap is fastened at which position said latter end is fastened. As thus arranged, the strap comprises crossed instep portions 26 and 28 and a looped portion 30. Said loop extends rearwardly over theheel portion of the shoe and defines the opening for the insertion and removal of the wearers foot. When the shoe is worn said loop and crossed portions snugly engagethe wearers ankle and instep, respectively and thus hold the shoe properly on the wearers foo-t. Preferably, for the sake of comfort, the rear section 32 of the loop 30 is somewhat narrower than the rest of the strap. As clearly shown in the drawing, the rear edges of the forward strap portions 26 and 28. are positioned substantially at the heel breast line of the shoe.

In order to permit the insertion and removal of the foot through the opening without detaching either end of the strap, the latter is extensible and preferably elastic. Said strap may be composed of elastic material but in the preferred embodiment of the invention here shown said strap is composed in the. main of inelastic material I and is provided with an elastic insert or portion clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this construction, the strap is divided in the portion 26 which is normally concealed by the cross over portion 28, and the divided parts 34 and 3B are connected by the elastic insert 38. As here shown, said elastic insert comprises a plurality of relatively narrow elastic strips 40. Said elastic strips are secured individually at their ends, by stitching, to the end of the strap part 36, as at 42, and to the end 22 of the strappart 34. The elastic strips 40 are disposed between the strap part 34 and its lining 44 in tunnels or passages formed by stitching the lining to the strap along spaced longitudinal lines 46 extending from the strapend 22 to the opposite end of the strap part 34.

In lieu of the individual elastic strips 40, a single relatively wide elastic strap section could be used as the insert 38 but the individual strips are much more desirable as they can stretch individually as may be necessary in. inserting and removing the foot through the strap loop thus greatly facilitating the putting on and taking 01f of the shoe and yet said strips act together to contract the strap with the force necessary to cause the latter to grip the foot with the required or desirable degree of tightness.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the rear upper portion 16 of the shoe comprises a strap arranged in two sections 50 and 52 adjustably and detachably connected together at the instep by a buckle 54. The strap section 50 is secured at one end 56 to the shank portion of the shoe at one side thereof, extends across the instep toward the other side of the shoe, is looped around the ankle and is connected to the strap section 52 by the buckle 5E The strap section 52 is secured at one of its ends to the shank portion of the shoe at the side opposite that to which the strap end 56 is connected and is directed upwardly toward the instep. The buckle is attached to the other end of the strap section 52 and the buckle prong is engageable in one of a plurality of holes in the end of the strap section 50. In lieu of the buckle,

any other suitable separable and/or adjustable fastening means, such as snap fasteners, hooks and eyes, buckles and loops, etc.,-may be utilized. In this form of the invention, the strap sections are preferably inelastic, but it will be understood that either one or both of said sections may have elastic inserts or may be made of elastic material.

Numerous other changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts could be made in the embodiments of the invention illustrated or described herein. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the present disclosure except as may be required by the appended claims considered with reference to the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap secured to the shoe and having a looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe and defining the foot opening, and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in snug relation thereto, said strap having forward portions of substantial width the forward portions of said strap being crossed and secured to opposite sides of the shoe at the shank portion, the rear edges of said forward strap portions being positioned substantially at the heel breast line of the shoe.

2. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap secured to the shoe and having a looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe and defining the foot opening, and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in snug relation thereto, the forward portions of said strap being crossed and secured to opposite sides of the shoe at the shank portion, the rear edges of said forward strap portions being positioned substantially at the heel breast line of the shoe.

3. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap secured to the shoe and having an unattached looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe and defining the foot opening, and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in snug relation thereto, the forward portions of said strap being crossed and secured to opposite sides of the shoe at the shank portion, said strap being extensible whereby said looped portion may be elongated to enlarge the foot opening for insertion and removal of the wearers foot, the rear edges of said forward strap portions being positioned substantially at the heel breast line of the shoe.

4. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel and an upper, said upper comprising astrap attached to the shoe at one side thereof adjacent the shank portion of said sole, extending across the instep toward the other side of the shoe, arranged in the form of loop to encircle the wearers ankle, and terminating in a portion extending across the instep from said first mentioned side of the shoe toward the other side and secured adjacent said last mentioned side at the shank of the shoe, said strap having an elastic insert in one portion thereof concealed by another strap portion whereby said loop may be enlarged to permit the insertion and removal of the wearers foot therethrough.

5. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap having crossed instep portions and a looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe, defining the foot opening and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in close fitting relation thereto, and means associated with said strap for expanding and contracting the foot opening defined thereby to permit the insertion and removal of the wearers foot comprising an elastic insert in one of said instep portions and concealed by the other of said instep portions and including a plurality of relatively narrow elastic strips disposed laterally of and connected only at their ends to said strap, and means attached to said strap forming individual tunnels for said strips.

6. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap having crossed instep portions and a looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe, defining the foot opening and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in close fitting relation thereto, said strap having an elastic section whereby said looped portion may be elongated to enlarge the foot opening for insertion and removal of the wearers foot, said elastic section being disposed in one of said crossed instep portions of the strap and concealed by the other of said instep portions.

'7. A low shoe comprising a sole, a heel, and an upper, said upper comprising a strap having crossed instep portions and a looped portion extending toward the rear of the shoe, defining the foot opening and arranged to encircle the wearers ankle in close fitting relation thereto, and means associated with said strap for expanding and contracting the foot opening defined thereby to permit the insertion and removal of the wearers foot, the rear edges of said instep portions being positioned substantially at the heel breast line of the shoe, said strap having separable portions secured to opposite sides of the shoe, and means for detaohably securing said separable portions together for releasably fastening the straps in said ankle encircling relation.

ANDRE PERUGIA. 

